Chapter 10: Impostor (1)

The process was painful. I had to endure and control the mana to enter my bloodstream as cell-like particles.

"Keok..."

Although there wasn't any blood, my hand felt as if it was being stabbed by a huge knife.

Yet I persevered, and ultimately all the mana on my hand disappeared. I could feel a warmth in my heart.

"Keok..."

I covered my mouth; my heart was boiling. It was a strange phenomenon, and the smell felt like it had stuck to me.

I fell to the floor and eventually couldn't keep my mouth closed any longer, ending up vomiting.

I jolted in surprise when I ended up vomiting blood. But what was intriguing was the halo of mana wrapping around my heart. I slowly stood up, wiping the blood off my face.

I stared at my reflection. I had officially become a first-halo magician.

This process would normally take someone over a year; some even required up to five years to become a first-halo magician. But with my [Magic Genius] Trait, I had achieved it in under an hour.

A smile formed on my face, but then I grimaced as I looked at the blood smeared on my clothes and mouth.

Dirty, dirty, dirty!

I immediately went to take a shower. Afterward, I wiped the blood off the floor and sneakily threw the pajamas in the trash. Marie could never see the clothes covered in blood.

I quickly returned to my room and tucked myself into bed.

***

"Alright, from now on we'll study the history of the Leclair family."

Jasper began explaining the first half that I had already read. We took a quick break and continued afterward.

"The Leclair family is known for their magic and swordsmanship. Many of the patriarchs pursued either one aspect, becoming a magician or a swordsman."

"On the last day of the year, the family holds a feast. This tradition has been passed down, and eventually, all the family gathers from the smaller territories."

"The feast is called 'The Last Day.'"

A grandiose feast featuring the head of the family, the children, the vassals, and other blood-related families from small territories. Once a child reaches the age of seven, they are invited to the family feast.

However, since I'm only five at the moment, I'm not invited to the feast.

I also don't plan on attending that feast; my eldest siblings would gather like flies. Actually, that punk hasn't bothered me since our first meeting at the cafeteria.

Well, I hope my warning got through to him. It's tiring dealing with bratty kids.

"Anyhow, Theodore, the patriarch told me that if you finish the lessons in less than a year, you'd be under my wing."

"Pardon?"

"It means that in the remaining year, I'd be teaching you the basics of theoretical magic, if you show talent in that area. If you don't, then you'll go under Mr. Herald's wing and learn basic swordsmanship."

It seems like the old man has come up with another alternative. I already grasped his personality; he's a man who always keeps the family tradition alive.

He approved of my early graduation but is planning to test me first. But this isn't bad at all; in fact, I should thank him. If I learn for a year under either Mr. Herald or Jasper, I can have a head start.

Amused, I couldn't control my facial expressions and ended up smiling.

"This kid, you're that happy, huh?"

"I am, sir."

Jasper chuckled, opened the textbook, and continued his narrative.

After class, I still had some remaining time. I purchased *Beginner Magic* at a nearby shop. When I arrived home, I ate and went to my room. I locked the door and sat on the carpeted floor, opening the textbook.

I laid out one piece of Elemental Paper that I had bought.

The purpose of the Elemental Paper was to determine which elements I had high compatibility with. This could only be used once someone had become a first-halo magician.

I took out a needle and pricked my index finger, smearing my blood on the elemental paper.

The paper floated in mid-air.

Crack, crack.

It ripped into five pieces while floating. One burned to crisps, one soaked, one cut into tiny pieces, one was covered in dirt, and the last one grew a bud.

"Oh?"

The papers slowly descended and fell to the floor.

"Five elements..."

Now, I was truly glad I had added [Magic Genius] as one of my traits.

Normally, one could only have one element, but here I was with five.

I chuckled inwardly. I was overpowered!

I was glad I added those amazing traits; without them, I would have already become a mediocre character!

I calmed my excitement as I picked up the papers.

"Wood Magic."

It's one of the rarest forms of magic. Unlike earth magic, wood magic is also known as life magic. Not much is known about it; I only knew its name due to it being listed on the game's website, but it was marked with a question mark, revealing only the name.

I dismissed my thoughts. First and foremost, I needed to try casting a beginner spell.

[Flare]

A beginner spell, it's a useful spell used by many magicians.

I stretched out my right palm while reading the manual. I took a deep breath and focused on my right palm. My breathing had to be steady while I drew out my mana from my heart.

Using a breathing technique, I slowly felt the warmth coursing through my hand. My mana traveled alongside my blood vessels. I imagined a small flame on my palm.

The mana gathered on my palm, and faint flickers of light began to form.

I breathed in and out, calming myself while channeling a bit more mana into my palm. I continued imagining the essence of a flare.

Crackle, crackle.

Slowly, a small bud of flame appeared on my palm.

I did it!

It was small, the size of a peanut. Yet my happiness couldn't be contained. Magic that I had read about and watched in games, manhwas, and novels had formed on my palm.

I remembered my troublesome teenage years when I would stretch out my palms while reading novels if I had free time.

"Fireball!"

I would always chant those words, yet right now, it had become reality. I am now a magician!

Crackle, crackle.

The flame slowly died. I had used up my mana in a single spell.

"I'll add improving my mana capacity to my list."

I stood up and cleaned my room, put the book on the shelves, and got rid of the papers. I took a brisk shower and tucked myself into bed. Marie wasn't here; she went to visit her mother, who had fallen ill.

So, I was the only one in the house.

It felt like I was back in my room, back in my world. It was always silent, with only the sounds of my breath and heartbeat.

"I wonder, why am I here? What's my purpose for coming here?"

Sometimes, I think of my existence as some kind of error. There was no Leclair, there was no Theodore in the original game. My name, my very existence, feels like nothing but an error.

Why am I truly here? Do I have some kind of mission?

I know that this world will plunge into chaos, but the main characters will save it from extinction.

Then? Am I a player? Or a character?

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?"

I sat up. Marie wasn't at home at the moment, and I had a bad feeling about this situation.

"It's me, young master. Can I come in?"

I sighed in relief. Of course, it was Marie. Although I wondered why she had come home early, the house is equipped with safety measures. Only those recognized by the system can enter.

"Come in."

"Young master, I came home early. Now, let me tuck you into bed."

I nodded and lay down.

"Have you eaten the dinner I left?"

"I have. Why did you come home early? I thought you'd stay there for the night."

"Well, my mother just had a slight heart attack. She's fine now, so I decided to come home early."

"I see..."

I slowly stood up.

"I'm thirsty. I'll go get a cup of water."

"Oh? I'll get the water for you, young master."

I waved my hand.

"It's fine. I know you're tired from the travel. Just sit; I'll be back."

I left the room and closed the door. I clenched my chest; my heart was racing.

That wasn't Marie—it was an imposter.

Marie was at least a three-halo magician, yet the imposter was only a two-halo magician.

What do I do?

I grabbed a chair from the side and used it to barricade the door. I began running down the stairs. This house was riddled with many systems. There are two possible explanations for how the imposter got inside:

Either they managed to bypass the system software somehow, or they possess a prominent spell in illusions.